Alabama has declared that the state’s anti-sodomy law is unconstitutional and overturned a ban on consensual homosexual acts this week.

The ruling came about after the case of Dewayne Williams vs. State of Alabama, in which Williams was charged with first-degree sodomy. He testified that it was consensual sex, but was still convicted in 2010 of “sexual misconduct” under the law.

Alabama has been under the scrutiny of human rights activists in recent years due to the laws, which are also active in nearly a dozen other states. The new ruling has been cause for celebration for gay rights activists, who say it is a giant step forward in the fight for equal rights.

“Each and every person, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, is entitled to equal protection under the law,” Equality Alabama chairman Ben Cooper said in a statement. “The Alabama court’s unanimous decision overturning the statute is a step in the right direction and makes us optimistic for future and ongoing equal rights through the continued elimination of unconstitutional provisions in our state’s constitution that violate privacy and equal protections.”

“Aiming to ban consensual sex is flat out wrong. A person’s sexual orientation shouldn’t matter. Consensual sex is just that — consensual — regardless of an individual’s sexual orientation. We don’t need government in our bedrooms,” said Susan Watson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama.

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